Friday, March 23, 2007

One For The Thumb

During my time at Carleton, the closest thing there was to a "star quarterback," was a guy simply known as Oz.

His full name was Osvlado Jeanty. He came to Carleton in 2002, to play for the men's basketball team. There was a lot of hype surrounding him. He was one of the top high school players in Ottawa. Usually, a university athlete is allowed to play for his/her team for a maximum of five years. When Jeanty started his career with the Ravens, he promised that Carleton would the reach the national finals, every year he played for them.

Last week, the Ravens won their fifth straight national title.

Jeanty has played a major role in this dynasty. He was the top scorer in the OUA a number of times and has won countless provincial and national awards. He's also been a great leader for the new players that have joined the team over the past five years.

In February, 2005, I was asked to do a profile on him for The Charlatan. It was a Sunday night and I left a message on his cell phone, requesting an interview. My deadline was the next morning and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to submit the article. Sunday night was the only possible time I could get him, as the Ravens were on the road for the entire weekend. Sure enough, at 11:30pm, he actually called me back. We had a great conversation and I learnt that he wasn't just a great player, but also a class act and an excellent ambassador for Carleton.